The Athletics announced that former big leaguer Dave Stewart has been hired as a special assistant to player development for the 2025 season. The announcement didn’t provide much detail on Stewart’s exact role but he’ll reconnect with the franchise he’s been most associated with over the years.
Now 67, Stewart pitched in the big leagues from 1978 to 1995. His best seasons were spent in Oakland. From 1987 to 1992, he made 212 starts for the A’s, allowing 3.56 earned runs per nine. That stretch included a World Series victory for the club in 1989, with Stewart being named MVP of the series. He threw a complete game shutout in game one against the Giants. An earthquake led to a 10-day delay in the series, which allowed Stewart to also start game three, surrendering three earned runs in seven innings. The A’s finished the sweep the next day.
Stewart would go on to join the Blue Jays for the 1993 and 1994 seasons, winning another World Series in the first of those campaigns with Toronto. He returned to the A’s in 1995, in what would eventually turn out to be his final season as a player.
He then moved into his post-playing days with the A’s. He served as assistant to general manager Sandy Alderson in 1996, though he bounced around after that, working in various roles for all kinds of employers. He took front office and/or coaching roles with the Padres, Jays and Brewers. He founded the Sports Management Partners agency. He was hired by the Diamondbacks to be general manager and held that job for about two years, from September of 2014 to October of 2016.
As of a few years ago, Stewart was part of a group that was trying to get an expansion MLB franchise in Nashville. A few months ago, it was reported that he was no longer a part of that group, but that a different group he was leading was trying to buy the White Sox.
It’s unclear what stage those ownerships pursuits are at right now, but it seems Stewart will circle back to the A’s. The franchise is now in an interim period, as they plan to play in West Sacramento for the next three seasons as they build a new stadium in Las Vegas to be their new permanent home. During this period of upheaval for the franchise, as they move on from one fanbase and look to build a new one from scratch, Stewart will come back as a familiar face and presumably impart some wisdom on the club’s younger players.
Wise baseball man. Great guy to have in your organization in any capacity.
lol he tanked the dbacks when he was running the show – hopefully he is better as a special assistant
Go revisit his Dansby Swanson disaster of a trade; there are much more competent people to have running an org.
And one of the worst General Managers in baseball history.
On the surface, his front office record is sketchy, but we certainly don’t have all of the facts either.
What I remember about the guy is that my Phils had him, couldn’t do anything with him and released him. The next year after that morphed into the peak of his pitching career with the Athletics.
Dave Duncan
@skenes @rey
One of the worst of all time? He inherited a team that was awful but went from 67 wins to 79 wins back to 60 something wins and then the year after up to 90 something wins a year later without much of a turnover other than the manager. As for Swanson, didn’t he draft him in his 2nd year as GM? As for the trade, is it his fault a 24-year-old stud of a pitcher with 4 years of success (Shelby Miller) turned into a pumpkin immediately after being traded? Seems like a sorry leash being given. I promise you there are dozens of other GMs, many of which somehow continue to get jobs despite poor results. Anyway, he’s a special assistant, not “running an organization.” As a successful big leaguer, maybe he’s equipped to perform other duties other than as a GM.
Welcome to the Sacramento A’s!
Good baseball guy. But he was oit if his element in AZ.
Nope
Dave Stewart always looks like he’s mean-muggin’ (especially his playing days) but actually he has a really high voice and a super nice guy lol.
Not with the Dbacks
One of the most incompetent exec to have ever been given a front office job; then and now.
There is nothing “special” about this man assisting.
looks pretty special in that pic
But he does check a few of the boxes.
@The
So you mean, a former big league pitcher that won 168 mlb games, 3 WS, 2 ALCS MVP and a WS MVP that struggled in the early part of his career then turned into one of the most dominant pitchers in a 8-10 year span has nothing to offer to an organizational farm system or even mlb squad about, I don’t know, PITCHING wouldn’t be very helpful? I think a lot of teams would love to have someone like him involved in the nurturing of all of their young pitchers. Why so anti- Stewart? I bet you there’s not a single organization that wouldn’t want him involved in pitcher deve on some levels
and I bet you there’s 250 mlb coaches, roving instructors and special assistants that don’t have half the accolades, experience or wisdom that he has, limited to being a pitcher or simply a good professional.
Why? Does he have compromising photos?
Does this portend a Memphisian moment?!?!
Oh no. Somebody needs to sign Shelby Miller ASAP
Stewart was great in his day. Glad to see him working for the A’s
As a player. As an executive he has the pedigree of a river otter with polio
“The franchise is now in an interim period, as they plan to play in West Sacramento for the next three seasons as they build a new stadium in Las Vegas to be their new permanent home”
Are we just pretending the A’s will stay in Las Vegas now because that seems highly unlikely based on past history.
Philadelphia > Kansas City > Oakland > Sacramento > Las Vegas
They do seem to be the Elizabeth Taylor of Major League Baseball teams…
Nashville next?
Barn storming team with no home games. Like they used to have in the old days.
Dave Stewart is 67 so he probably won’t be able to do much damage to a mlb FO much longer. Although, Reinsdorf seems to really want to prop Stewart and LaRussa up in their twilight years.
Tommy Lasorda was a walking heart attack and lived into his 90’s. Age means nothing.
Ol Smoke really is a good baseball guy. But he’s woefully out of his element with decision making capacity. He’s an input guy. He knows the bump. He relates to players. Leave him there..leave him alone.
So does that mean his efforts to buy the White Sox with his millionaire group fell through?
If so, good. His ownership group would have sucked too…
Yeah all a hoax it would seem, aligned with mean old sleepy drunk Tony.
If he ends up buying a team or purchasing a new franchise, is he still able to hold this position with Oakland/Sacramento/Las Vegas?
Buying a team with what coins?
The article said he was part of some group trying to get an expansion team in Nashville and he was trying to purchase the White Sox.
No. Sherman the Royals owner had to divest himself of his Cleveland shares.
Meh. He’s no Jack McDowell
Will be a crafty but deceptive guy to trade with. Would he lie to you?
Major League Baseball Teams can choose to hire Dave Stewart, Goose Gossage etc as pitching coaches if they wish. Many people don’t realize that the Roger Beshens Football Slider has become popular in MLB and that’s the type of slider being taught now. I can go to Gossage and ask him to share his knowledge and experience with the younger pitchers but he needs to teach them the Roger Beshens Football Slider and explain how to shape the pitch. This way he can help pitchers learn how to improve using metrics. Roger Beshens thought deserving ex ML pitchers would benefit from his information, instead young people with connections gained advantages from his information and definitely didn’t recognize Roger Beshens contributions when they were deserved.
He was big game pitcher. Met em briefly as kid when he was w/Dodgers, he’s cool. Met Kenny Landreaux too. They talked to us. Used to be able to get right outside batting cages door n they’d stick their heads out. Ol Dodger stadium.
“The announcement didn’t provide much detail on Stewart’s exact role”
Opening Day Starter…
“…Stewart will come back as a familiar face and presumably impart some wisdom on the club’s younger players.”
“Stay away from tranny hookers, boys!”